Being the fruit of an adventure novel by one of Catherine II’s associates, he never refused to participate in dangerous adventures. Life deprived of them became a torment for our hero.
It is known that in Russia at the turn of the 18-19th century. it was fashionable to read Western freethinkers and agree with them in many ways. Our hero was not without a simple passion for ideas. He tried to make beautiful dreams come true and almost got on the gallows. Thanks to influential relatives, he was pardoned by the king or, in his opinion, doomed to eternal torment.
Childhood
Friend of Catherine the Great Fedor Orlov was a loving man. His amorous adventure with the wife of a colonel Tatyana Yaroslavova ended in the birth of a child. The boy was born in March 1788. Noble parents did not abandon him. The baby's father petitioned his crowned friend, asking him to legitimize his right to the count title. The good empress refused this request, but equalized the illegitimate in rights with other members of the Orlov family. In the same 1796 she died.
Brothers of the favorite of Catherine II Grigory Orlov
Misha, according to the official version, had to his dad not a son, but a pupil. Naturally, he was supposed to get a decent education. As the educational institution for the little boy, they chose the boarding house of the abbot Charles-Dominic Nicole famous for the fact that there was the highest tuition fee.
Youth
A graduate of an elite educational institution in 1801 was enrolled in the College of Foreign Affairs. Peers noted the heroic physique and hot temper of the young man, which did not match the career of a diplomat chosen for him by his parent. In 1805, Mikhail transferred to military service. Accustomed to luxury, he chose the cavalry guard regiment. True, the young officer did not have to show off in the capital for a long time - the Russian army advanced to Europe to help its allies fight with Bonaparte.
Morning of the Battle of Borodino. Departure of the Cavalier Guard regiment to the position. Artist Dmitry Belyukin
Mikhail Orlov participated in the battle of Austerlitz, and in 1807, as part of his regiment, fought with Napoleonic troops in Germany. He proved himself a valiant soldier, for which he was promoted and awarded a golden sword. By the time the Corsican sent his troops to Russia, the dashing grunt rose to the rank of lieutenant. Alexander I appointed him as his adjutant wing, but did not insist that the brave man be at headquarters. Michael distinguished himself in the defense of Smolensk, the Battle of Borodino, and even managed to be a partisan. After the expulsion of the invaders, the cavalry guard participated in a foreign campaign.
Disagree
Perhaps the hero’s hostility to the authorities arose when in 1814 he was left at the headquarters of Marshal Auguste Marmont as a hostage. The troops were preparing for the assault on Paris, the commanders were negotiating, Orlov was used as a pawn in the game of the powers that be. So that the warrior would not be angry, he was promoted to major general and welcomed his participation in diplomatic missions. After the war, Mikhail did not hide his opposition views.
In 1875, a monument to Mikhail Orlov was erected in Kishenev
The emperor did not like this freethinker. He did everything so that Mikhail Orlov remained in that rank in which he ended the war. In 1820, an officer was sent to Chisinau to command a division. Then our hero launched a seething activity. He banned physical punishment for soldiers, engaged in the education of ordinary and junior command personnel. His work for the benefit of his native unit aroused suspicion among the higher ranks. The hero of 1812, General Nikolai Raevsky, who at that time was in Kiev, decided to get acquainted with the eccentric.
In a circle of like-minded people
Mikhail liked the daughter of General Raevsky, Catherine. In 1821 they became husband and wife. One of the frequent guests in the Orlovs' house was Alexander Pushkin. In 1817, it was he who helped his friend become a member of the literary society "Arzamas" and was good-natured to his work, full of audacity and protest. Once the comrades argued to a wheeze and quarreled forever.
The active humanist in uniform wanted to make a contribution not only to the daily life of the unit entrusted to him, but also to influence the political course of the country. He became the organizer of the Order of Russian Knights, whose program included the reform of the domestic vertical of power with the transfer of all the rights of the monarch to parliament. Over time, this organization joined the "Union of Welfare."
Decembrist uprising on Senate Square December 14, 1825. Painter Alexei Venetsianov
